A Forgotten Past
by beccagrat
Summary: No one ever asks about Sirius Black's love life. Once known as the player at Hogwarts, he was finally won over by one girl. Unfortunately in their 6th year at Hogwarts, the girl vanished, never to be seen again. Sirius was never the same. That is, until Harry discovers someone stuck in a vanishing cabinet in the potions room.
1. Chapter 1

The Vanishing Cabinet

Life, it seemed to Harry, could not get any worse. He sat in the Gryffindor common room with a crimson armchair dragged over to one of the tall mahogany windows that had the best view of the quidditch pitch. It was his fifth year at Hogwarts, and almost everything he liked about the place had been taken away from him.

He watched quietly as Ron flew about the pitch, throwing the quaffle back and forth with Angelina. The Gryffindor qudditch team were practicing, and without Harry who had received a lifelong ban. It seemed with every catch the gloom in Harry's stomach increased. He felt near sick, the thought of his firebolt in the stubby hands of Umbridge.

Hermione dragged a chair over to join Harry, her soft look of pity made him feel ever worse. He wanted to snap at her to go away, but he restrained himself. Instead he tried to force what he imagined was a caring, thankful smile that said 'I appreciate you being my friend'.

"Harry, are you unwell or something?" Hermione asked suddenly. "Your face looks weird and contorted."

Harry let his smile drop with a short laugh. "I'm fine Hermione."

He let his thoughts return to the letter he was trying to write to Sirius. He hadn't heard from him in a while, and he imagined he was still sulking after the last incident at the fireplace. Hermione annoyingly peered over his shoulder. Eventually Harry turned to glare at her.

"Do you mind?"

She shrugged. "When is your detention tonight?"

Harry's stomach gloom grew some more. He had detention tonight with Snape for having defending himself in potions. What a barrel of laughs that was going to be. And even less time to complete his homework as well.

"8pm," Harry muttered.

As he spoke the portrait hole swung open and Ron entered, covered in mud. He tramped over to where the other two sat and flung himself onto another armchair without speaking. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, wordlessly agreeing not to ask how practice had gone.

At ten to eight Harry gloomily left Hermione and Ron who were completing their Charms homework. He then walked towards the dungeons as slowly as humanely possible. As he walked Harry passed a group of 4th year Ravenclaw girls who tittered and whispered, glancing back at him. Harry quickened his pace slightly, frowning. He arrived at Snape's office at 8.01pm.

"You're late Potter."

Harry wasn't wearing a watch and he frowned, looking around for the time. Snape sneered at him, his mouth pressed in a firm line of dislike, a look that he saved especially for Harry.

"Sorry."

"Sorry, sir."

"Yeah, Sorry, sir." Harry sighed. He didn't have the strength to hate Snape tonight.

Snape swung out from behind his desk, which sent his cloak billowing out behind him like a caped crusader. He began pacing the office slowly running a finger along dusty bottles where animals and perhaps human body parts seemed to be preserved in eerie liquids, Harry thought for a moment that Snape might make him drink one.

"Tonight, Potter, you will be cleaning out the cupboards alongside the dungeons. You will not use magic."

He gestured to a bucket, some sponges and some sacks, which Harry assumed he was meant to fill with rubbish. "Anything valuable, you bring to me." Snape finished.

Harry nodded. At least it wasn't anything to do with flobberworms this time. As Snape strode out of the room Harry gingerly knelt on the hard stone floor and began to examine what work lay ahead for him. The first cupboard was at the back of the room they used for potions. It was under a bench, and had huge wooden doors that creaked as Harry pulled them open. A cloud of dust followed, and Harry had to sweep it away before he could actually see what was in the cupboard. It looked like this had been where students crammed broken things and junk for the past century. The whole cupboard smelt damp and musty and everything inside looked like it was made of soft grey sponge due to they layers of caked on, moist dust.

He began to pull the objects out, dropping them in a sack. He was unsure how he was meant to know if things were valuable, but he wasn't too bothered if he accidently threw out something Snape might have wanted. As he cleared away some of the dust he noticed that the majority of the back of the cupboard was filled with a large, ornate wooden cabinet. It had some strange carvings along the front that looked like runes.

Harry cleared out the front of the cupboard so he could reach the latch on the cabinet. A brief thought that the cabinet could be dark magic crossed his mind, but he ignored it as curiosity overwhelmed him. However, as he wrenched it open he felt disappointed.

"Empty," Harry muttered.

He went to close it again when the cabinet spoke back. "Hello?"

Harry froze, his hand still clenched on the handle. His eyes widened and he peered into the cabinet, trying to see where the voice could have come from. He paused, and then feeling rather stupid he spoke back. "Er, hello? Cabinet?"

"I'm stuck," the cabinet said. He registered it as a female voice. "Can you help me out?"

Harry glanced around the room, Snape didn't appear to have heard anything. He felt hesitant, he knew what others would say about him conversing with an object. "Never trust anything if you can't see where it keeps it's brain" .

However, Harry felt bad. The voice sounded distressed.

"Er… how do I do that?" Harry asked aloud, feeling even more stupid. If Snape was hiding somewhere and laughing at him he would be pissed.

"My jersey, it's caught. Can you grab my hand?" The cabinet said.

Harry grimaced, but stuck his hand into the empty cabinet. To his surprise, it didn't feel empty. In fact he felt wool, and then as he plunged his hand further, something warm, and squishy. With his fear long forgotten he moved his hand around curiously, but the cabinet yelled out.

"Would you reach a bit higher? That's my breast."

Harry felt his face burn, and he was glad the invisible female couldn't see him. He obliged, and reach his hand up. The cabinet extended further than it appeared to, and eventually his hand met another. It was a very strange experience. He then pulled, and as he did a young girl about his age materialized.

She was wearing a Gryffindor uniform, though her grey jersey was ripped at the side. She had long golden hair that was falling out of a ponytail, and what he imagined might have normally been a friendly freckled face, if it hadn't been glaring angrily at him. He felt a little offended, he had just rescued her.

"Of course it would be you groping my chest Potter."

Harry narrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" He couldn't recall having ever been lucky enough to grope a girls chest, nor could he remember ever trying.

She just laughed. Her face became more friendly and she gave him a one armed hug. "Alright then. Man, how long was I stuck in there? It felt like a good hour! Slughorn asked me to find a Bezoar, but then didn't seem to ever come and look for me. Is potions over?"

Harry was blank. He felt confused, but the girl was pretty and she was acting like she knew him, he didn't want to give it away.

"I'm not sure," Harry said. "I was in here for detention. Who is Slughorn?"

The girl slipped his arm off him. "Don't be daft. Our potions Professor."

Harry frowned. "Oh Snape? He's in his office?" The cabinet must have addled her brains.

The girl was now mirroring Harry's confusement. "What's Snivellus got to do with this?"

Harry's frown deepened. "Maybe I should take you to the hospital wing…" he said slowly.

She put her hands on her hips. "James. Stop being weird, you're freaking me out."

James? She just called him James. She seemed very earnest about it as well, and to his dismay he noticed her blue eyes were starting to sparkle with tears.

"James?" she repeated.

Luckily it was at this moment that Snape decided to return to the room. He stormed in, robes flapping about his ankles.

"Potter, who are you speaking to! I wasn't aware I allowed others to help you with your detention work!"

Harry glanced at the girl who's eyes widened as she turned to see Snape enter the room. Snape stopped abruptly when he neared the two teenagers, and went deathly silent. Harry wasn't sure how to explain what had happened.

"Er, sir," he stammered. "She came out of the cupboard."

Snape had gone pale. "What is the meaning of this?"

The girl looked scared and she backed up towards the back of the room. "Who are you?" she asked Snape.

He didn't answer her question. "McIlwraith?"

The girl was now fingering her long hair nervously. "Yeah," she said. "James, could you just get Slughorn?"

Harry gaped hopelessly, and turned to Snape for some help. To his surprise he saw Snape give glance of near compassion at the girl.

"Potter," he said. "Let's take McIlwraith to Dumbledore."

Harry nodded, and he offered the girl who was now shaking his arm. She took it and he felt him squeezing his arm tightly. As they walked toward Dumbledores office the girl began looking around confused. "That man, is that Snape's dad?" she whispered to Harry.

Harry wasn't sure what to say. It seemed almost as though this girl was really from a Hogwarts of the past. A Hogwarts where she had known his father, and a young Snape.

They reached the statue outside Dumbledores office and Snape swept them wordlessly up the stairs. The girls grip did not loosen from Harry's arm, and in fact when they came upstairs she shuffled close to him and Harry blushed.

"Professor," Snape began, but before he could finish Dumbledore was eyeing the girl seriously through his half moon glasses.

"My word…" he said slowly. "Charlotte McIlwraith?"

"Yes!" she replied, a little shrilly. "Why is everyone acting like I'm dead? You're really scaring me!"

Dumbledore's face immediately was erased of any confusion. He whipped his wand out and conjured up a seat and he gestured for her to sit down. Charlotte seemed reluctant to let go of Harry's arm.

"Sorry Ms McIlwraith, please take a seat."

She loosened her grip from Harry and slipped into the armchair. Dumbledore seemed to be pondering his options. He turned to Snape. "Severus, could you get me a calming potion please?"

Snape nodded and swept out of the room at once.

"Harry, please take a seat."

Charlotte was gripping her armchair, she eyed him suspiciously. "Why is everyone calling you Harry? Where is Sirius?"

Dumbledore, however, interrupted. "Charlotte, please take a deep breath. Everything is going to be fine. Can you tell me what happened to you on the 4th of February 1975?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Reunion

Charlotte looked at her hands. It seemed to be dawning on her that things had changed a little since she went into that cupboard. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I was in potions, and Sirius kept sending sparks at me. Professor Slughorn noticed and asked me to go and get a bezoar from the cupboard. I was searching around when I fell into that cabinet. It all became black, and my jersey was caught on the side of it. I called out but no one seemed to hear me. I was in there for about an hour when I heard a voice, and it was…" She trailed out, eyeing Harry. He noticed she was eyeing his scar.

Dumbledore looked saddened, but he took a potion off Snape as he returned to the room. "Charlotte, I'd like you to take this calming draught. It will help you understand what is going on."

Charlotte nodded meekly and took the steaming mug. She sipped at it, and Harry noticed Dumbledore eye Snape.

"Alright," Dumbledore began. "Charlotte, you are no longer in the year 1976. You are in the year 1994."

Charlotte's eyes widened, but she did not look too alarmed. "I traveled through time?"

"Not exactly," Dumbledore said. "It sounds as though you have been frozen in time. That may in fact have been a vanishing cabinet. They have been known to freeze what is within them in time. Not entirely, however. You have likely aged an hour or two. Unfortunately the rest of the world has aged approximately 18 years. Your friends and family, Charlotte, have all grown up."

Tears sparkled in her eyes again, but Dumbledore pressed on.

"As you know, a boy who looks like your friend James pulled you from the cupboard. His name is Harry Potter, and he is James' son. Your classmate Severus is a teacher at Hogwarts, he has replaced Professor Slughorn, and I am still headmaster."

Dumbledore finished here quietly and glanced at Harry. Harry was beginning to appreciate the enormity of the situation. This girl would have no idea what had happened in her absence. "We will just start with the important things, to orient her to where she is now." Dumbledore said, as if he knew what Harry was thinking.

"Charlotte, Hogwarts eventually had to accept you were gone. We could not find you anywhere, and aurors from the missing persons department searched for you for three years." Dumbledore began again looking somber. "I see now, my mistake, in believing I understood all of the schools mysteries. We all thought you were gone forever."

A couple of lone tears trickled from her eye now, but she spoke calmly. "Everyone thinks I'm dead?"

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I'm sorry Charlotte, I let you down."

She glanced up at him finally, removing her gaze from the floor. "But… I can't… Sirius, Marlene…. They'll be so old now…" She glanced at Snape. "You're Snape?"

Snape's face had lost its compassion, and now appeared as more of the sneer Harry recognized every time he looked at him. "Indeed, it is Professor Snape now."

Charlotte looked at Dumbledore. "Can't you just send me back?"

Dumbledore looked sad. "I'm sorry Charlotte. That is not possible. Awful things happen to witches and wizards who mess with time. "

"I don't want to mess with it!" She raised her voice. "I just want to fix it!"

No one spoke, and Charlotte was attempting to calm her breathing. She took another sip of the potion and this seemed to help. She was still shaking. Harry wished he could help. At the same time, he wanted to ask her all about his father. This girl had spoken to his father yesterday!

As if she could hear him she glanced up at Harry. Her eyes met his and he couldn't help but remember how he had touched her breast earlier. He went red yet again.

"I can't believe it," she said, her eyes meeting his. "You look just like James."

Harry smiled. "I get told it all the time, except for my eyes…"

"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted, warningly. "We can't give her any more information than is necessary."

"Yeah," Charlotte said, ignoring Dumbledore. "James, he has hazel eyes." But luckily she didn't press the subject. There was obviously a lot for her to come to terms with.

"I think," Dumbledore said slowly. "For now it would be best for us to put you in an enchanted sleep Charlotte. You can sleep in the Gryffindor dormitory, there is a spare bed…"

"No," she interrupted. "I want to see my friends."

Dumbledore sighed. "I cannot allow that, it will be too overwhelming."

"Sirius, he'll want to see me."

Harry thought it lucky it wasn't James she was demanding to see.

Dumbledore remained quiet for a long time. He looked ponderous. "Severus," he said. "Perhaps Remus…"

"Yeah," Charlotte said. "Remus, he can get me? I.. where is Remus? Is he a teacher too?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Surely, she should remain in the castle? She is, technically a student."

Charlotte glared at him with great dislike. "Shut it snivellus."

Snape's face was livid. Harry suppressed a laugh of joy, he had never heard anyone speak to Snape like that, other than…

"Sirius," Charlotte said. "Where is he?"

Dumbledore did not answer. He waved his wand and send what appeared to be a winged patronus flying off into the distance. A few long moments later a wolf patronus burst into the room. Lupin's voice rang out "I will apparate to the gates."

Dumbledore nodded to Snape. "Please escort Remus from the gates, and inform him what has happened."

Snape nodded curtly and left the room. Harry couldn't help but wonder if he was the right man for the job. As silence engulfed the room Harry had so many burning questions to ask her. Eventually he blurted one out.

"Was, my dad, was he your friend?" Harry asked.

Charlotte looked up at him with surprise, and another emotion, perhaps, was she hurt?

"Yeah," she said slowly. "I mean, he hasn't, like, mentioned me at all?"

Harry felt stupid. "I.. I can't recall.. sorry," he said, finishing somewhat lamely.

She shook her head. "Don't be," she said. "Yes he is my friend. Well was, I guess. Marlene and I befriended James and his friends after we got into a fight with some Slytherins. Death eaters they call themselves." She eyed Dumbledore at this, as if she might get into trouble.

He smiled at her. "I am well aware of your antics, Charlotte. Forgive me, if I let them slide considering the situation."

They then were quiet again as footsteps sounded up the stairs. There were raised voices as well.

"You can not come up here!" Snape said angrily.

"Please," Remus said, but was interrupted as a great black dog pushed open the door to the headmasters office. It bounded in, followed by a sour faced Snape, and a pale faced Remus, who looked sick to his stomach. He shut the door behind them and they made their way over to where Harry sat, in silence. A now tear faced Charlotte couldn't seem to bring herself to look up.

Sirius transformed into his human form, and Dumbledore smiled serenely. It was as if he had known this would happen. Snape stood off to the side, and Harry watched as his Dad's best friends stared at the teenage girl, colour draining from their faces. Sirius looked, as Harry had never seen him, his face softened, but his hands began to shake. He stumbled slightly as he moved forward into the light and Remus reached out to steady him.

"Charlie?" Remus finally said. "Is it really you?"

She lifted her head up to see the two men. Her tears continued, but she looked shocked. She couldn't seem to speak, her mouth just opened and closed, silent tears dripping over her lips. Eventually she brushed the tears from her face.

"You two look bloody awful."

Remus half laughed half gasped with releif. Sirius didn't seem to be able to move, but Remus knelt down in front of her and put his arms around her. She leant into him gratefully, burying her face into his shoulder.

"We thought you were dead," he said sadly.

His hug seemed to give her the strength to stand, and she stood in front of Sirius, hands on her hips eyeing him up.

"Well, Black, I see you are still incapable of human emotion," she said, in a new more confident voice.

Sirius gave a short laugh. "I…" but before he could speak she had thrown her arms around him. Harry suddenly felt as though he was intruding on something private. Their hug was different from hers and Lupins. Sirius had gone oddly silent, and his hands hesitantly met her back. She on the other hand was gripping him tightly, and one hand had snaked its way through his long hair.

Harry looked down feeling awkward, but Sirius soon also jumped back.

"Charlie," he said. "I can't believe it."

As he drew back and they made eye contact again Charlotte started hyperventilating. Remus quickly grabbed her shoulders, but only just in time as she fainted.


End file.
